Surgical grasping instrument

Abstract

A surgical grasping instrument of the type having finger rings and may or may not have a ratchet lock for securing closure and two arms to the jaw joint is provided with enhanced control in the form of a strut or a thin metal bridging platform extending outwardly from at least one arm and to be engaged by either or both the thumb and the third finger of the surgeon during manipulation of the instrument, thereby improving the leverage and hand control of the instrument.

I claim as my invention: 
     
       1. A surgical instrument comprising two co-planar arms medially pivotally hinged together and relatively movable with respect to one another in a scissors-like action between a first open position and a second closed position, complemental pinchers formed at one end of said arms and together with one another forming a vise with selectively openable and closable jaws for grasping and holding objects between said jaws;   finger engaging means at the opposite end of said arms comprising a ring extending outwardly from each respective arm; and   control improvement means comprising means forming a thumb platform disposed to extend outwardly from a medial portion of one of said arms and joining the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding one of said rings;   said control improvement means comprising a strut spaced outwardly of said arm to form an opening between the arm and the strut, said strut being formed and disposed to extend longitudinally at an angle to connect with the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding ring; said outwardly spaced strut forming a platform separate from the arm and engageable by either or both the thumb and the third finger of the surgeon during manipulation of the instrument to improve leverage, stability and hand control of the surgical instrument,       wherein said strut is in part offset angularly out of the plane of said arms, thereby to form a recess for receiving the thumb of a user and having an abutment shoulder at one end of said recess for engagement by the thumb during use.   
     
     
       2. A surgical instrument comprising two co-planar arms medially pivotally hinged together and relatively movable with respect to one another in a scissors-like action between a first open position and a second closed position, complemental pinchers formed at one end of said arms and together with one another forming a vise with selectively openable and closable jaws for grasping and holding objects between said jaws;   locking means at an opposite end of said arms comprising a toothed ratchet lug on each arm extending inwardly from each respective arm and interengaging with one another to lock the arms in a closed vise gripping position;   finger engaging means at the extreme said opposite end of said arms comprising a ring extending outwardly from each respective arm; and   control improvement means comprising means forming a thumb platform disposed to extend outwardly from a medial portion of one of said arms and joining the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding one of said rings;   said control improvement means comprising a strut disposed to extend outwardly from a medial portion of one arm and offset angularly out of the plane of said arms to form an abutment shoulder and a thumb recess;   said strut being formed to extend longitudinally at a reentrant angle to connect with the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding ring.   
     
     
       3. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 2 said strut being spaced longitudinally outwardly of said one arm by a spacing dimension closed by a web or thin metal bridge to form a flat engagement surface for engagement by the adjoining surface of the user's thumb.   
     
     
       4. A surgical instrument comprising two co-planar arms medially pivotally hinged together and relatively movable with respect to one another in a scissors-like action between a first open position and a second closed position, complemental pinchers formed at one end of said arms and together with one another forming a vise with selectively openable and closable jaws for grasping and holding objects between said jaws;   finger engaging means at the opposite end of said arms comprising a ring extending outwardly from each respective arm; and   control improvement means comprising means forming a thumb platform disposed to extend outwardly from a medial portion of one of said arms and joining the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding one of said rings;   said control improvement means comprising a strut spaced outwardly of said arm by a spacing dimension closed by a web to form a flat engagement surface, said strut being angularly offset out of the plane of the instrument to provide an abutment surface for the thumb of a user,   said strut being formed and disposed to extend longitudinally at an angle to connect with the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding ring; said outwardly spaced strut forming a platform separate from the arm and engageable by either or both the thumb and the third finger of the surgeon during manipulation of the instrument to improve leverage, stability and hand control of the surgical instrument.       
     
     
       5. A surgical instrument comprising two co-planar arms medially pivotally hinged together and relatively movable with respect to one another in a scissors-like action between a first open position and a second closed position, complemental pinchers formed at one end of said arms and together with one another forming a vise with selectively openable and closable jaws for grasping and holding objects between said jaws;   finger engaging means at the opposite end of said arms comprising a ring extending outwardly from each respective arm; and   control improvement means comprising means forming a thumb platform disposed to extend outwardly from a medial portion of one of said arms and joining the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding one of said rings;   said control improvement means comprising a strut spaced outwardly of said arm to form a spacing dimension between the arm and the strut closed by a web or thin metal bridge to form a flat engagement surface for engagement by the adjoining surface of the user's thumb, said strut being formed and disposed to extend longitudinally at an angle to connect with the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding ring; said outwardly spaced strut forming a platform separate from the arm and engageable by either or both the thumb and the third finger of the surgeon during manipulation of the instrument to improve leverage, stability and hand control of the surgical instrument,       wherein said strut is in part offset angularly out of the plane of said arms, thereby to form a recess for receiving the thumb of a user and having an abutment shoulder at one end of said recess for engagement by the thumb during use.   
     
     
       6. A surgical instrument comprising two co-planar arms medially pivotally hinged together and relatively movable with respect to one another in a scissors-like action between a first open position and a second closed position, complemental pinchers formed at one end of said arms and together with one another forming a vise with selectively openable and closable jaws for grasping and holding objects between said jaws;   finger engaging means at an opposite end of said arms comprising a ring extending outwardly from each respective arm; and   control improvement means comprising means forming a thumb platform disposed to extend outwardly from a medial portion of one of said arms and joining the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding one of said rings;   said control improvement means comprising a strut disposed to extend outwardly from a medial portion of one arm and offset angularly out of the plane of said arms to form an abutment shoulder and a thumb recess;   said strut being formed to extend longitudinally at a reentrant angle to connect with the outwardly projecting portion of a corresponding ring;   there being formed between said strut and said one arm a thin metal bridge forming a flat engagement surface for the thumb of a user.